Henderson County, Texas
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 25% of Henderson County's mapped land, a higher share than 76% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 25%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 33 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 34% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1988.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Henderson County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 25.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 24.9% |
| Septic fields very limited | 53.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 26.4% |
| Mapped soil | 607,181 acres |
How we count · survey areas TX213 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 26% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 25% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 25% of Henderson County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 25% of Henderson County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 27.68 in, 16.42 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 44.10 in.
USDA rates 54% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
33 flood losses since 2016, $1.3 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 7. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 88% slabs, 12% crawl spaces.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 6 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 44.10 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 27.68 in (-16.42) |
| 2025 | 45.06 in (+0.96) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 75.63 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 25.37 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ATHENS (4 mi away) | 14.5 |
Homes
| Housing units | 41,852 |
| Median year built | 1988 |
| Built before 1980 | 34% |
| Built 2000 or later | 34% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $211,300 |
| Single-family detached | 64% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Henderson County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | 6% | 13% | 5,408 |
| Berryville | 0% | 20% | 549 |
| Brownsboro | 0% | 38% | 605 |
| Caney City | 24% | 64% | 162 |
| Chandler | 4% | 53% | 1,833 |
| Coffee City | under 1% | 8% | 159 |
| Enchanted Oaks | 81% | 10% | 248 |
| Eustace | 68% | 40% | 500 |
| Gun Barrel City | 69% | 22% | 3,346 |
| Log Cabin | 78% | 13% | 523 |
| Malakoff | 68% | 43% | 1,021 |
| Moore Station | 0% | 49% | 104 |
| Murchison | 20% | 36% | 251 |
| Payne Springs | 69% | 47% | 573 |
| Poynor | 3% | 24% | 174 |
| Seven Points | 71% | 47% | 644 |
| Star Harbor | 52% | 36% | 380 |
| Tool | 66% | 37% | 1,572 |
| Trinidad | 62% | 35% | 390 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Zandt County, TX | 24 mi | 46% | 35% |
| Anderson County, TX | 28 mi | 11% | 20% |
| Smith County, TX | 36 mi | 3% | 23% |
| Kaufman County, TX | 38 mi | 73% | 16% |
| Navarro County, TX | 38 mi | 75% | 8% |
| Freestone County, TX | 39 mi | 37% | 18% |
| Rains County, TX | 46 mi | 60% | 34% |
| Wood County, TX | 48 mi | 18% | 36% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status